


Purple

by BusyBea



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Episode: s02e25 Message Received, F/F, Not Canon Compliant, One Shot, again this was written a while ago so pardon the continuity errors or lack of lapis, amedot - Freeform, could be platonic amedot but honestly i wrote it to be hella gay, love these two dorks, otp, perithyst, somethin i quickly threw together, tiny tint tiny steven/connie, written after "message received"
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-12
Updated: 2016-10-12
Packaged: 2018-08-22 00:13:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,865
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8265587
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BusyBea/pseuds/BusyBea
Summary: Peridot, the most recent addition to the Crystal Gems, observes her first sunrise on the glittering seashore of Beach City, and makes a compelling discovery. A certain quartz gem accompanies her, and strange, tingly, heart-fluttering feelings ensue. Peridot is confused about said emotions, but there's at least one thing she's certain about: her favorite color.
Written immediately after the events of "Message Received". Not exactly canon-compliant, but it's as close as we can get. One-shot.





	

**Author's Note:**

> hey everyone this is basically just a silly little one-shot about my two favorite adorkable gems!! personally i ship amedot and lapidot equally so hopefully if i find time i can write a lapidot one-shot to even it out, ya know? anyway here is my self-indulgent garbage enjoy and review!
> 
> EDIT: okay for some reason this got deleted somehow so im just reposting it :/

Four figures sat in the sandy dunes of Beach City's famous seashore, silhouetted by the rising sun. One of them was the young Steven Universe, a gem-human hybrid with a positive demeanor and a cheerful smile. Another was Connie, his human friend and loyal companion. The remaining two were none other than Amethyst and Peridot, members of the heroic Crystal Gems, defenders of Earth and everything it contains. However, Peridot was a very recent addition to the Crystal Gems. One week, to be precise.

After Peridot's defiance toward her Homeworld leader (Yellow Diamond, one of the infamous matriarchs that make up the Diamond Authority), she was officially a Crystal Gem. This earned many reactions from the other gems, including a high-five from Steven, a reserved smile from Pearl, a noogie from Garnet, and a tackle hug from Amethyst.

Naturally, the adrenalized embrace resulted in two furiously blushing gems and a riot of laughter from Steven, Pearl, and Garnet.

As of now, the four (Steven, Connie, Amethyst, and Peridot) were watching the sunrise over the eastern shore of the beach. The waves lapped at their feet, resembling the color of orange juice in the bright early sunlight. The sky was painted with fantastical hues of pinks, oranges, reds, and hints of blue. It was absolutely picture-perfect, and Connie wasted no time snapping a photo on her cellphone.

Steven had purposefully woken up early, gathered Amethyst and Peridot, and called Connie over to watch the sunrise. He insisted on showing Peridot the beauty of the sunrise ("It's awesome, you have to see it eventually!"). Garnet and Pearl were on a mission and Amethyst was to watch Steven and Peridot, since they were both essentially needy children. However, Peridot was learning about this planet, and her clueless naivety was gradually becoming replaced with knowledge and appreciation for the short-term beauty of the Earth.

Steven and Connie, both young kids with short attention spans (although Connie was easily the most patient and perceptive), had watched the sun slowly peek over the coastline for a few moments, and then began to hunt for the prettiest seashells scattered amongst the sand. Steven carried a plastic bucket with their treasures, and the two of them laughed and played as they scoured the beach.

Meanwhile, Amethyst and Peridot seemed glued to their spots, sitting on the sand. Yet, neither of them dutifully watched the sky or followed the sun's path. Instead, they sat a considerable distance from each other and did their own thing. Amethyst's single visible eye darted from the position of her right hand (a bit too close to Peridot) and her feet, where she had been pawing at the sand and creating a little hollow dip in the ground.

Similar to Amethyst, Peridot was fidgeting with her fingers and adjusting her green-tinted visor ever so often. Occasionally, she squinted at the sun and the glorious sky, furrowing her brows in concentration, before sighing and looking away. She seemed disappointed by the sunrise, but thankfully she had fooled "the Steven" into believing she was silently enjoying it. She did enjoy listening to the waves crash on the shore and the shrieking of the seagulls. It was alien to her, but also exciting.

Amethyst was the first to speak. "So, uh, you like it? The sunrise, I mean."

"Yes. I find it quite pleasureable. This... sunrise is giving me a reasonable amount of enjoyment," Peridot replied, straining to remember the word for "sunrise".

Amethyst chuckled at her momentary forgetfulness, before frowning. "Aw, Peri, that doesn't seem genuine! Do you seriously like it?" She laughed, gently punching Peridot's arm. The green gem was startled by Amethyst's suddent contact, and a bright blue blush bloomed on her face as she struggled to maintain a neutral expression. Under her visor, her blush appeared green.

"Yes, I like it very much."

"Be honest, I mean it."

Peridot cleared her throat before responding. "To be entirely frank with you, Amethyst, no. I am not deriving enough pleasure as Steven said I would," She explained, burying her face in shame.

The last thing Peridot expected was Amethyst's hand on her shoulder, and her touch sent a jolt up Peridot's spine. Peridot stiffened, but then relaxed, drawing comfort and another unidentifiable emotion from Amethyst's act of solace.

"Hey, don't beat yourself up about it, okay? Look, I like the sunrise, but I can't stare at it for hours like Pearl or Garnet can. Everyone likes different things. Just because we share similar experiences doesn't mean we share opinions. Right?"

Peridot nodded. Her hands gripped each other, becominf clammy. A cold wave rolled over their feet and onto their thighs, resulting in a shocked yelp from Peridot and a snort from Amethyst.

"Wait... is it even possible to stare at a sunrises for hours? Considering the fact that the optimal viewing time for a sunrise is approximately 3 minutes, that is," Peridot noted.

Amethyst toyed with a lock of her light hair, twirling it around one finger. All Peridot wanted to do was feel Amethyst's hair. It looked soft, and warm, and-

What in the name of White Diamond was that? Why did she feel so... strange around Amethyst? Perhaps it was because Amethyst was simply a perfect gem specimen. Sure, she's "defective" but she fights just as well as a regular quartz warrior! Not to mention her flawlessly formed body proportions and her symmetrical facial structure and her full lips and her dark eyes and that loose curtain of hair that always fell over her left eye and-

Peridot was so busy being lost in reverie, she didn't hear Amethyst's response to her earlier comment about the temporal length of a sunrise.

"-ack me up, Peri," Amethyst chortled, wiping an imaginary tear from her one eye.

The green gem had no choice but to nod and smile, as she didn't catch what Amethyst said. Immediately afterward, she panicked. What if Amethyst had asked a question? What if she was talking about a serious topic? Countless what-ifs flooded her mind.

"Hey, are you okay? You're looking a little... green," The purple gem asked, pleased with herself for making the joke at the end but still ultimately concerned.

Peridot nodded feverishly in response. "I'm great! Why do you ask?" She chuckled nervously, tearing her gaze off of Amethyst's aesthetically appealing face and instead focusing on the sunrise.

"It just seems tha- wait a minute," Amethyst paused in her speech. She slowly leaned forward, causing Peridot's breath to hitch. Their faces were only inches apart, or at least that's what it seemed to Peridot. The green gem blinked, swallowing hard. "Do your glasses make you see green?"

Confused by the sudden change in topic, Peridot frowned. "I don't understand. See green?"

Amethyst's lips parted in an 'O'. "Peri! Your visor! It's making you see green!"

"So?"

"So have you ever... not worn your visor!"

"I require it for constant protection of my vision spheres."

Amethyst laughed, but then sobered when she truly comprehended Peridot's explanation. "Peri... do you think you're in danger here?"

"Negative. The Earth is a rather secure planet, and many of its life forms show no aggression," Peridot answered, her voice wavering. Hopefully, Amethyst would not press any further, or even discover her true motive.

"Then... why do do you still your visor? What... or who... are you afraid of?"

Peridot swallowed hard and leaned away from Amethyst, fixing her gaze on the sunrise. "Y- Yellow Diamond!"

"You're lying to me, Peridot."

When Amethyst used Peridot's real name, a shiver was sent down the green gem's back. "How can you tell?" She asked in response, heaving a resigned sigh.

"You've only been here for a while," Amethyst said, gesturing with one hand toward the beach and the two children collecting seashells. "but I know you."

Normally, Peridot would've been disturbed if someone else had said that, but she felt oddly comforted by the fact that Amethyst was so familiar with her. The green gem glanced back at Amethyst. Her facial expression seemed... torn? She was smiling, yes, but her eyes conveyed an anguish that Peridot could not bear to see.

"You're afraid of us, aren't you? The Crystal Gems," Amethyst murmured, voice almost entirely drowned out by the seagulls' cries.

"What? No, A-Amethyst!" Peridot stammered.

"It's true. But why do you think of us like that? We would never hurt you!" Amethyst exclaimed, smiling woefully. A single tear pooled around her visible eye. "I thought you trusted us."

Peridot flinched at the sight of Amethyst crying because of her. Guilt stabbed at her insides. All of the memories of the Crystal Gems hunting Peridot down filled her mind. Peridot squirmed, trying to get the mental picture out of her head. After a short moment of silence, Peridot knew she had to tell her the truth. She scooted closer to Amethyst's seat, maintaining eye level on her knees.

"Amethyst. I'm not scared of you. Or Garnet. Or Pearl. Or Steven. But," Peridot added, face turning blue yet again from shame and their close proximity, and she looked away. "I... was afraid that you all would hate me, if Yellow Diamond came to Earth. If she destroyed everything you have worked so hard to protect. I didn't know what you would do to me. It's my fault. I'm sorry."

"Peridot."

Amethyst's gentle but firm voice caught her attention, and she hastily snapped her head back to face Amethyst. But what she didn't expect was to see Amethyst's face mere inches away from hers yet again.

"Y-Yes, Amethyst?"

"We wouldn't hurt you. I wouldn't hurt you."

"I know that now, and I'm sorry."

"It's okay, Peridot. But... you still haven't answered my question."

Puzzled, Peridot cocked her head in a confused gesture. "What question?"

"Do you see green?"

"I've never not worn my visor. I wouldn't know."

"Can I?" Amethyst's hands hovered at the edges of Peridot's face, her fingers brushing the visor. Peridot tried to refrain from blushing, and she nodded.

Amethyst gently removed Peridot's visor, and she dropped it onto her lap in surprise. "Peri... Your eyes are blue!"

Peridot was speechless. In fact, she didn't hear what Amethyst even said. She gazed at Amethyst and the sunrise in the background. She had never seen anything like this before! Was this what living on Earth was like? Beauty and wonder instead of structure and efficiency? Originally, Peridot would've scoffed at the former, but now she was beginning to understand why the Crystal Gems loved this planet.

Unknown hues swirled in the sky, and Peridot was extremely curious.

"What's that color?" She asked, pointing to a particular section in the heavens.

Amethyst shook her head as if in a daze, after carefully studying Peridot's face, before responding. "That's pink."

"And what about that one?"

"Red."

"And all this?"

"Orange."

"What about that one?" Peridot asked, pointing to a faint wisp in the sky.

"That's blue. It's the color of your eyes."

Peridot switched her attention from the sunrise to Amethyst. Not to be biased, but there was one view which she enjoyed the most.

"What color are you?"

"I'm purple."

Peridot silently repeated that word in her head.

Purple, purple, purple.


End file.
